Birth of the Sith - Part Three: Balance of the Force
by teej.318
Summary: The Republic is reeling following the attack on the Jedi Council by the Sith. Jedi throughout the galaxy are responding to a distress call to ensure the Senate is safe. Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Keira Port is leading a rescue mission in space in an attempt to redeem her former master, Solin Malice. If they are successful, they could turn the tide of the great conflict.
1. Confrontation

_The Republic is reeling following the attack on the Jedi Council by the Sith. As the Temple lies in ruin, Jedi spread throughout the galaxy have received a distress call, and are returning to the Capital to ensure the Senate is protected._

_Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Keira Port is leading a group to redeem and rescue Solin Malice, her old master. Keira and the others are following Solin's ship, _The Millennium, _through space, unnoticed by the much larger ship._

_If they are successful in redeeming Soling, they hope to find the rest of the Sith leadership and bring about an end to the conflict…_

* * *

Bazila closed her eyes upon Elocin's command. This was her first lesson in the ways of the Jedi.

"Now, reach out with your feelings," Elocin said. "It will feel as if you are losing yourself. That is the Force calling to you. Do not resist it. Let it take you into a larger world."

Bazila took a deep breath as the Force took her over. As she did, she could sense the galaxy around her and could nearly hear all of the life that existed in the galaxy. It was overwhelming; it was as if millions of thoughts and feelings of others were now swarming through her.

"Relax your mind," Elocin said. Her voice sounded like it was light years away. "Clear your thoughts and let the Force flow through you. Don't try to strain yourself. Breathe."

As she took more deep breaths, the sound of all life faded away and became like a distant echo. Now, she was able to see all of the galaxy through the Force.

"Now, what do you see?"

"Life," Bazila replied, her voice echoing through the Force as it showed her the way of life. "Death and decay, but it feeds new life. Warmth. Cold. Harmony. Violence."

"And between everything you can see?"

"There's an energy. I can't quite describe it, but it flows through all of life. It's like a force."

"And inside of you?"

"I can sense that same Force."

"Good," Elocin replied, sounding happy. "You have opened your mind to the Force. But do you see anything else?"

Bazila felt herself strain slightly, but suddenly she could sense something out of the ordinary.

"Darkness," Bazila described. "It's trying to call to me. I won't listen to it." At that, the darkness tried to pull her in, while she fought against it. "It wants me, but I can't!"

Bazila screamed as she opened her eyes. She was breathing heavily, but the ship came into focus around her. The engine's hum calmed her as she looked around. Elocin stood over her, looking pleased.

"Well done," Elocin praised. "You've taken your first step into a larger way of life. That is the lesson for now: you must always being weary of the darkness present in all of us, and be prepared to resist it. Now then, I have something here for you," she said, taking a lightsaber that was stowed away in her cloak and handed it to Bazila. "I was able to retrieve this as we were leaving Coruscant."

Bazila pressed the button to ignite the lightsaber and a purple blade sprang to life. It was nearly identical in color to her clothing and the part of her hair that was dyed purple. She examined it for a few seconds before she pressed the button again.

"A Jedi's lightsaber is a tool to assist them," Elocin explained. "It is not meant to be used as a weapon of attack. A Jedi uses the Force and their lightsaber for knowledge and defense, never for attack. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Elocin."

"Good. I will leave you to reflect on this first lesson. Meditate on what you saw and then check this ship for supplies. It would be best to destroy the ship we are pursuing, so if you find any explosives, let us know."

* * *

They had traveled through space, closely following the large command ship. The information scan completed by the ship's computer told them the command ship was known simply as _The Millennium._ Ngema and Y'not piloted the ship through space, undetected by _The Millennium_. Meanwhile, in the main hold, Keira had gathered Sabe, Elocin and Chancellor Jear while Bazila searched the ship for supplies. After thoroughly searching the ship, Bazila walked into the main hold, carrying a large box and setting it down.

"This box contains enough explosives that would destroy _The Millennium_ if we can spread them out around the ship," Bazila explained. "I recommend we take care of setting the charges before we go and find Solin."

"I agree," said Sabe. "It will be prudent for us to get off of the ship as quickly as possible once we've found Solin. Keira," he added, turning to Solin's former apprentice. "Will you use your Battle Meditation as we make this rescue attempt?"

Keira shook her head. "I'd rather be there to help redeem Solin. I think I'd have the most influence over him, along with you, Master Organa, and with Ngema. The three of us know him the best and we'll know how to communicate with him."

"I think you're right, Keira. I suggest we use the Force to conceal ourselves when we are on board _The Millennium_. That will allow us to bypass any guards or Sith apprentices we're likely to meet on board the ship."

At that, a communicator buzzed and Ngema's voice blared through it from the cockpit.

"Several Jedi from around the galaxy have received our distress call about the attack on the Jedi Temple," she said. "The Jedi Council on Dantooine is on its way to Coruscant now in order to ensure the Senate remains protected."

"Good," said Keira. "Any word on _The Millennium?_"

"It appears to be slowing down. As soon as it does, we'll lift the cloaking device and land where we can. This ship is small enough that we won't be spotted."

"Land as quickly as you can and be careful," Keira commanded.

"Understood. Ngema out."

Keira turned to the others. She looked rather exhausted, but full of determination.

"I'm going to center myself in the cargo hold until we land," she said. "I want to have full concentration when we face Solin."

The rest of the group nodded at her as she whipped around and walked toward the cargo hold, her mind buzzing. When she reached the cargo hold, Keira took off her cloak and sat down on the ground. She shut her eyes and emptied her mind.

"Breathe, just breathe," she whispered to herself as the Force calmed her mind and her worries, clearing her soul.

* * *

Once the charges had been set, the group made its way through the ship. The Jedi centered themselves in the Force in order to find Solin, who presence was felt heavily through the Force. Soon, they reached a large set of doors.

"Wait," Keira said, holding up a hand to signal the others to stop. "I can sense Solin close by. He's in this room."

"I sense him, too," Sabe added, nodding. "It's time."

"You lot," Keira said to the others as she, Sabe and Ngema pulled out their lightsabers and opened the doors, "stay out here and keep guard. We'll be back as quickly as we can."

"Be careful," said Chancellor Jear, who looked worried. "I don't like the idea of you three confronting a Sith as powerful as Solin on your own, but I suppose strength does not lie in numbers."

"That's right," Keira replied. "Our strength comes from our connection to Solin. I only hope it will be enough to redeem him."

"May the Force be with you," said Chancellor Jear.

Keira nodded at him and followed Sabe and Ngema into the room. It was set up nearly identical to Solin's quarters at the Jedi Temple. The large black bed filled the room, while a small desk that was connected to a large communicator stood abandoned. Pressing forward, Keira led Sabe and Ngema through a door at the back of the room. Inside, they found a large meditation chamber, with pillars as high as the entire ship. They walked inside slowly, keeping their eyes out for any guards. In the center of the room, they could see Solin sitting on the ground, meditating.

Keira had just a moment to think how out of place Solin looked in a black robe when Sabe and Ngema ignited their lightsabers. She imitated them just as Solin leapt up, turned around and ignited his own red blade.

"Hello, my friends," Solin said, sounding eager. "I knew you would come for me. It will be a pleasure to duel you all once again, but this time, I shall have the honor of defeating you!"

With an animal-like roar, Solin leapt forward and engaged his former comrades in a fierce duel. Though he was on his own, Solin was equal in power and abilities to the three Jedi. He had a perfect blend of lightsaber combat capabilities and a command over the Force that was unlike any other Force wielder in the galaxy. With the Dark Side of the Force fueling his moves, Solin was nearly unstoppable, but the combined powers of Keira, Sabe and Ngema were enough to keep him at bay. Despite the intensity of his combat, Solin was unable to gain an advantage over the three Jedi.

They dueled for several seconds, with the Jedi centering themselves in the Force. Though they could not overpower Solin, they were able to prevent him from successfully using his full potential. Eventually, the four of them locked blades and held them for several seconds, all of them straining under the great pressure.

"NOW!" Keira shouted. As one, she, Sabe and Ngema broke the blade lock and leapt backward as Solin swiped at them, missing them by several inches. The Jedi landed several feet away from Solin, but did not rush forward to continue the duel. Seeing this, Solin started to laugh.

"Oh, come now, my friends! We were just getting started! Or do you give up and would like me to end this now?"

"We will not surrender, Solin, and you will not strike us down," Keira replied calmly, taking a deep breath. "And we are not leaving this ship without you."

"And what makes you think you'll be able to convince me to go with you without a fight?"

At that, Keira deactivated her lightsaber, but kept it held. Sabe and Ngema hesitated before they did the same.

"It's because I know you, Solin," Keira said. "I know the real you. I know that in your heart of hearts you cannot serve the Dark Side of the Force. Ever since our confrontation on Korriban, I could sense the conflict in you. Even now, I can still sense it. There is still good in you, which means the real you is still here, even if you think that part of you is gone and everyone else thinks it as well."

"The old me is gone and dead, Keira," Solin retorted, but Keira noticed that he didn't sound angry, but confused. "You must know that, given everything that has happened."

"That's not true Solin and if you look in your heart, you will find that the real you is still there."

Solin sighed deeply as he deactivated his lightsaber. Like the Jedi, he kept his weapon held. Keira could feel the conflict growing inside of Solin.

"What do you want from me, Keira?"

"I want my former master and my dearest friend back," Keira said as she slowly walked toward Solin. She kept her free hand raised to show that she did not intend to attack him. "I know you can turn from the Dark Side, Solin, as long as you have hope."

"How can I be redeemed after the attack on the Jedi Temple?" Solin asked. "I'm responsible for the deaths of so many Jedi! There is no way I can walk back from that."

"Solin, listen to me," Sabe said, repeating Keira's actions and walking toward his former apprentice. "If you turn away from this dark path you are on and tell them everything you know about the Sith, that will make amends."

"We promise we won't let anyone hurt you," added Ngema as she imitated Keira and Sabe. "We only want you back, Solin. We have no desire to see any harm come from you."

"Look into your heart, Solin," Keira said as she got as close as she had to Solin. They could almost touch hands. "Look into your heart and find your true self. Turn away from the Dark Side of the Force and come with us."

Solin looked at each of the three Jedi. He could sense nothing but honesty from them and could hear the truth in their words. He looked at all three of them in the eyes before he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Solin then dropped his lightsaber and collapsed to his knees, holding his head in shame. He broke down in tears as Keira rushed forward and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry!" Solin whimpered into Keira's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe what I've done."

"It's all right, Solin. It's all right," Keira replied in a soothing tone as she helped him stand up. "You've renounced the Dark Side and the Sith. That's all that matters now."

Sabe hurried forward and hugged Solin as Keira let him go.

"Oh, master. You must be so ashamed of me."

"No," Sabe replied gently. "I'm very proud of you, Solin, for realizing who you really are. You've made me prouder than you ever have today."

"Ngema," Solin said as she hugged him, too. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, Solin. You were taken advantage of, nothing more. I'm glad to have you back."

"You made a brave move in confronting me," Solin said as they all broke apart and he called his lightsaber to him and hooked it on his belt. "Not many people would have done that."

"Well, you must've known there was a good chance you would fall when you programmed T2 to come and find me after a certain amount of time," said Keira. "If you hadn't, I might never have known what happened to you."

"You're right, of course," said Solin, nodding. "I guess I had a contingency plan in place without remembering it."

"Let's get out of here and regroup with the others," Keira said. "We should get off this ship as quickly as we can."

"Lead the way."

Keira turned and led them out of the meditation chamber and through Solin's quarters. She was relieved to see Solin didn't try to retrieve any of the dark artifacts in the room and instead followed her out of the room. They linked up with the others, who looked at Keira questioningly before she nodded.

"Oh, Solin! I'm so glad you're all right!" Bazila exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. Y'not growled happily and patted Solin on the head.

"It's good to see you, too, Bazila. Thanks for not giving up on me."

"It's good to see you as your old self again," said Elocin.

"Thank you, Master," Solin replied before he turned to Chancellor Jear. "Chancellor, I apologize for the brutality of our confrontation. We Jedi and the Republic are lucky to have you on our side."

"Thank you, Solin. I must say you were a formidable opponent, but I'm glad to call you an ally once again."

Solin chuckled as Keira clicked her tongue.

"We'll have more time for the cozy catchups once we're out of here," she said impatiently. "Let's get back to the ship and off this bucket of bolts."

She turned and started running down the hallway. Solin hurried after her with the others, laughing to himself.

"That's my apprentice," he muttered to himself.

They hurried down several hallways as they ran for the hangar. Keira was surprised they did not meet any resistance. When she pointed this out to Solin, he hand answer.

"I told all guards that I was expecting you and to not attack you. I guess it's a good thing now that we're getting out of here."

In the last room before the hangar, they stopped when they saw a group of about 10 Sith and soldiers standing around, as if waiting for them. Solin assumed a commanding voice as he spoke to the guards.

"Out of here, you all," he barked. "I have found the trespassers. Return to your stations at once and I will escort the trespassers to Lord Nacluv's ship myself."

The guards looked at him, but when they saw Solin glaring back at them, they scattered out of the room in a hurry.

"Cowards," Solin muttered. "They never could follow an order unless they saw I was serious."

"You realize we've put explosives around the ship and that we'll detonate as soon as we're clear?" asked Keira.

"Good. I have no more attachment or allegiance to the Sith, so if they are to meet their destiny aboard this ship, then so be it."

"You really are back, aren't you?" Keira said as she started running again. They met no further guards in the hanger and were able to board the ship and get it taken off and cloaked before anyone could detect their escaping. Once Bazila and Y'not had successfully piloted the ship far enough away from _The Millennium_, Keira handed the detonator to Solin.

Solin took the detonator, hesitating. He turned to Sabe.

"Should I really be the one to do this, Master?" he asked, sounding as if he were a padawan again learning a difficult lesson from his master.

"Pressing the button and detonating the explosives will help make amends, Solin," Sabe said, nodding.

"But isn't it a rather dark act?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, but destroying _The Millennium_ and those on board will help ensure that more lives aren't lost to the Sith and their compatriots led by General Nute and Malastare."

Solin nodded and pressed the button. In the distance, they watched as _The Millennium_ erupted into a giant fireball that consumed the entire ship. It looked as if the command ship has briefly become a sun before the fireball disappeared and all they could see was empty space. At that, the ship entered blasted away, entering the blue field of hyperspace.


	2. Duel on Coruscant

"The ship is enroute to Coruscant," Bazila said as she and Y'not came out of the cockpit and into the main hold, where everyone else had gathered around the table.

"Excellent," said Sabe. "As soon as we've returned to Coruscant, we can plan our next moves and make sure the Jedi responding to the distress call have everything they need. Now, Solin, what can you tell us about the defectors?"

"The majority of the leaders have gathered on the planet Scarif," Solin explained. "It's a remote, tropical planet located in the Outer Rim. The defectors headquartered there ever since the events of Ord Mantell's invasion by Malastare."

"Then that is our next destination after we regroup on Coruscant," said Elocin.

"But there is something else we'll have to do first," Solin said. "It's about Senator Mobbs. He needs to be arrested and taken into custody right away."

"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Chancellor Jear. "Senator Mobbs is loyal to the Republic."

"That's only a front for his true identity. Senator Mobbs is in reality a Sith Lord. He is Tosan Inte, the same person who confronted Keira and me aboard General Nute's command ship before the invasion of Ord Mantell."

"Are you absolutely sure of this, Solin?" asked the Chancellor, who sounded skeptical.

"I am," Solin replied. "I only found out about it when Tosan challenged me to a duel when I fell to the Dark Side. When we dueled, I destroyed his mask and saw his face for the first time. It was Senator Mobbs, there is no doubt about it. He even told me so after we dueled."

Everyone looked at Solin with shock in their expressions, hardly daring to believe what Solin was telling them. Finally, Sabe spoke up.

"I believe you, Solin. I'm just concerned that we weren't able to sense the taint of the Dark Side in Senator Mobbs."

"That's because he is extremely powerful in the ways of the Dark Side," Solin explained. "He is one of Vulcan's original apprentices, the other being Lord Tobos. When Vulcan found Mobbs, he trained him in the ways of the Sith on Ord Mantell and created his identity of Tosan. Vulcan instructed Tosan, as Hatt Mobbs, to become politically active. The two of them used whatever resources they had to deal with any of Tosan's challengers.

"When Ord Mantell elected Mobbs King, he would have private meetings with Vulcan that nobody in the palace was ever allowed to witness or even know about. It was in one of those meetings that Vulcan tasked Tosan to board General Nute's command ship to give Keira and me a taste of the what was to come before he escaped the ship and resumed his public persona of Mobbs."

Everyone considered Solin for several moments before Sabe spoke up.

"Then we must move quickly if we are to arrest him," he said. He turned to the Chancellor. "Chancellor, I leave the decision to you."

"Yes, you must arrest Senator Mobbs for treason as soon as we return to Coruscant," Chancellor Jear replied. "I, however, cannot intervene as an agent of the Republic. Like Mobbs, I must keep up my public persona as Chancellor until this conflict is over."

"It's settled then. We will head to the Senate immediately in order to deal with the arrest of Senator Mobbs."

"You'll have to be careful," Solin warned. "Vulcan will have told him by now that you've redeemed me, so he will have warned Tosan to expect your arrival. I'm sure he won't go down quietly."

"Yes, you're right, Solin," Keira said, having remained silent up until now. "We'll have to center ourselves if we are to confront him with force. He was a difficult opponent on General Nute's ship, but that was three years ago. He could have grown in strength in that time."

"Keira, do you think you can stay behind and use your Battle Meditation?" Solin suggested.

Before Keira could answer, Sabe spoke up.

"She'll come with us," he said. "I want you to stay behind, Solin. I know we could use you and your abilities to confront Senator Mobbs, but being in his presence so soon after your redemption could prove overwhelming for you. I don't want to take any risks."

Solin bit back a retort and sighed.

"I understand, Master. I know it can be difficult with his influence. I'll stay here and work on restoring my lightsaber to its original state."

"Thank you for understanding, Solin. I know it's a difficult thing for me to ask of you, but it will help ensure that you remain safe. I will say that if you can sense we are in danger, then by all means come. I just don't want you to have to face Senator Mobbs unless you absolutely have to."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

The doors to Senator Mobbs' office opened and Keira led the others down the hallway that led to Mobbs' desk. They had broken up into three groups of two, with Keira and Ngema leading the way, followed by Sabe and Elocin, and Bazila and Y'not bringing up the rear. In just moments, they reached the center of Mobbs' office and spread out in front of the door to prevent an escape. Senator Mobbs turned around in his seat. He did not look too surprised to see them.

"Master Jedi," he said pleasantly, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

As she answered him, Keira took her lightsaber off of her belt and ignited it. The others mimicked her, except for Y'not, who drew his sword with a growl.

"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Senator Mobbs," said Keira with an air of determination.

The look of pleasantry vanished instantly from Senator Mobbs' face and his tone suggested it, too.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" he demanded.

"The Senate will decide your fate," Keira replied.

"I _am_ the Senate!"

"Please, spare me that, Tosan," said Keira. She watched as a ghost of a smile twitched on Mobbs' face as he stood up. "What, are you surprised that I know your true name, Sith?"

"Delighted," said Mobbs, whose hand twitched and a lightsaber appeared in his hand. "But I'm afraid you won't live past this confrontation. And your actions are treasonous in nature."

With that, Mobbs lit his lightsaber and let out an animal-like scream as he leapt over his desk and to the group. As quick as a flash, Mobbs sliced at Elocin's leg, causing her to collapse, before he was able to remove Sabe's hand, which disarmed him and sent him backward, clutching his right hand in pain. Mobbs then turned to Ngema and swiped at her. Ngema was able to dodge most of the attack, but the tip of Mobbs' lightsaber was able to make contact with part of her chest and she fell to the ground screaming.

Mobbs then turned to Keira, Bazila and Y'not and engaged them in a three-on-one duel. He was able to hold his own over the trio, but could not gain an advantage. They simply swiped at one another and blocked each attack, without managing to land many successful counters. After several seconds of this, Mobbs decided to change tactics. He raised his hand at Keira and sent a Force Push at her, which sent her slamming into a wall, stunning her.

Y'not attempted to decapitate Mobbs, but the Sith was able to dodge the attack. Before Y'not could react, Mobbs put Y'not into a Force Choke as he turned to face Bazila. With one hand choking Y'not, he kept Bazila at bay with the other for a few moments before Y'not passed out due to lack of oxygen. Sensing this, Mobbs returned his second hand to his lightsaber and fought Bazila one-on-one.

Mobbs was the most difficult opponent Bazila had faced. Though she had grown up defending herself against various adversaries on Taris, nothing could have prepared her for this duel. In seconds, Bazila was wearing down from exhaustion, despite trying to reach out with the Force and center herself. Mobbs was able to sense Bazila's weakness and used it to his advantage and was able to slice off Bazila's right arm.

Before Mobbs could deal any more damage, he was forced back by a kick. He stumbled and looked up at Keira, who had gotten back to her feet and reignited her lightsaber. Mobbs smiled and jumped to his feet and started to attack Keira.

Mobbs was surprised by Keira's combat abilities. He had not been able to sense her prowess when he had dueled both her and Solin, but now understood how talented she was. Still, he convinced himself that she was no match for him as they dueled around the office and made their way toward the windows that overlooked all of Coruscant. They sparred here for a few moments before they missed each other and shattered the window.

Large gusts of wind filled the office with the window broken. They remained dueling, however, each of them trying to gain an advantage over the other. After several seconds, Keira saw an opening and leapt up, kicking Mobbs in the chest. Mobbs stumbled, dropping his lightsaber outside of the window, where it went soaring down to the streets of Coruscant, miles below them.

Mobbs scrambled away from Keira, who advanced on him with her lightsaber pointed down at his chest. When he was out of crawling space, he stopped, holding up his hands in surrender just as a second lightsaber ignited. Mobbs and Keira looked toward the source of the sound and saw Solin had entered the room, carrying his lightsaber, which was back to its original green blade.

"You are under arrest, my Lord!" Keira declared, looking down at Mobbs with contempt in her face.

"Solin!" Mobbs gasped, turning to face him and ignoring Keira. "I told you it would come to this! I was right! The Jedi are taking over!"

"Your oppression as a Sith has come to an end, Tosan," Keira said. "You have lost."

"No!" Mobbs shouted. "Solin, embrace the Dark Side again! Help me! I am your friend!"

Finally Solin spoke. He sounded rather annoyed.

"I am not your friend, Tosan," he spat. "Your efforts to seduce me back to the Dark Side are futile. I have no allegiance to you or any Sith."

Mobbs' face contorted with rage. "You fool!" he shouted. "I will see you dead for this!"

Mobbs leapt up to attack Solin, but before he could do anything, Solin raised his lightsaber and sliced at Mobb's left arm. It wasn't enough to do much damage, but it caused Mobbs a great deal of pain as he collapsed to the ground, holding onto his arm. Solin smiled, satisfied, as he deactivated his lightsaber and returned in to his belt. Keira imitated him as Solin grabbed Mobbs roughly and bound him with chains that he pulled from his utility belt.

"Are you all right?" Solin demanded of Keira. She nodded at him. "I could sense that you were facing him on your own, so I came as quickly as I could."

"I'm glad you did," Keira replied. "Everyone else was hurt, but I was able to hold him off long enough."

"I knew you could, Keira," Solin said, winking at her. "You could always take on anyone on your own. Anyway, I'll take our friend here to the Senate for imprisonment until his trial. You get everyone else to the medic bay for treatment. I'll meet you there as soon as he is in custody."


	3. Arrival on Scarif

Solin entered the Senate medic bay, where he could see the rest of his party receiving treatment from their wounds sustained during the duel with Tosan. He was dressed in his green Jedi robes once again. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, being back in the right clothing made him feel he was in his own skin once again. Solin walked over to Keira, who was standing around, supervising the treatment of the others.

"Hey," she said when Solin reached her. "Everything go OK?"

"Yeah, he's going on about Vulcan coming to rescue him, but I doubt that will happen. Vulcan won't attempt to attack Coruscant, not when such a large faction of his Sith army was taken out on _The Millennium_. How is everyone?"

"We're all right," Sabe answered, standing up. He had received a prosthetic hand, but it appeared just as a normal hand would. Solin had to marvel at the brilliance of medical science. "We're all nearly finished getting patched up and then we can be on our way to Scarif."

"About that," said Solin. "We should be prepared to be captured almost as soon as we land on Scarif. They won't use force against us, but they will certainly take us before the government of Scarif. They haven't taken too kindly to the Sith's occupation of the planet, and they usually capture any visitors until they can determine who they are."

"But why do they allow the Sith to occupy the planet if they capture all visitors?" asked Keira.

"The Sith stole the clearance codes that allow access to Scarif without capture," Solin answered. "That allows them easy passage onto the planet. Since we won't have the clearance codes, that means we'll likely be captured. The Scarif government tracks all arrivals and sends its troops out to capture them. I'll be able to talk our way out of it, I hope."

Just then, the doors opened and Captain Menousek, Mobbs' primary bodyguard walked into the medic bay. He looked haphazard; he uniform was wrinkly as if he had put it on in a hurry and his hair was messy. Captain Menousek reached Solin, Keira and Sabe as the others also stood up to join them.

"Master Jedi," Captain Menousek said in a nervous tone. "I've just been informed of Senator Mobbs' arrest and that he was serving the Sith and the defectors this whole time. It sickens me. I would like to accompany you all wherever you're going next. I know you arrested Mobbs, and I feel like if I'm able to help you, I can make amends for serving a traitor."

Solin nodded at him. "Of course, Captain Menousek, we could use your help. I do what you to know that you have to make no amends at all. You were simply doing your job and serving the Republic. Mobbs is the one responsible for all deception."

"Yes," said Captain Menousek, nodding as well. "I understand, but it would help clear my mind if I am to go with you."

"Then let's get going," said Sabe. "The sooner we get to Scarif, the sooner we can put an end to all of this."

* * *

The ship blasted out of hyperspace, giving Bazila and Y'not their first look at Scarif. It was a bright blue planet; they could see the ocean covered a large portion of the planet, while the land only took up a small portion of the surface. Inside the atmosphere, they could see several islands with beaches. It was a wonder to behold. They selected the largest island, as Solin had instructed them to do when they took off, and piloted the ship down to it. They landed the ship on the island and powered it down. Once the ship was in place, the two left the cockpit and entered the main hold, where the rest of the party had gathered.

"There was no sign of anyone following us," Bazila reported.

Solin nodded and did not looked surprised.

"They will have tracked us via radar," he replied. "I won't be surprised if the ship is already surrounded by officials from the government. The leader of the government is Kento Mitas. He knows me from my time here as a Sith, so he might be weary of trusting us, but hopefully I can persuade him that I've changed my ways and renounced the Sith."

"Just be honest with him, Solin," Sabe suggested.

"Yeah, a lot of honesty goes a long way," added Keira, who grinned at Solin.

"Let's move out. And be prepared for immediate capture."

Solin led them out of the main hold and through the back of the ship to the ramp, which had lowered when Bazila and Y'not landed the ship. They embarked down the ramp and had a few moments to take in the fresh air before they were surrounded by a group of armed troops.

"Halt!" called one of the troops. "You are trespassing on Scarif, and as such, you will be taken to our leader for questioning."

"We mean you no harm," said Solin calmly. "Take us to Kento, and I will explain everything."

If the trooper was surprised that Solin knew the name of his leader, he kept it hidden. He turned and led the other troopers away from the beach and into the heart of the island. The troopers kept their weapons trained at the party, but none of them bothered reaching for their weapons. They were led into a large building that was decrepit looking, but told a rich history. Hundreds of portraits of past leaders littered the walls as they walked through the building. In the center of the room, they saw a throne sitting about a dozen of feet above them. An older man with long gray hair and carrying a staff sat in the throne. The man did not look happy when Solin stepped forward and bowed.

"Solin Malice, you slime!" the old man exclaimed. "How dare you come to our planet with your filthy clan of Sith without the clearance codes! Explain yourself!"

"I am no longer a Sith, Kento," Solin replied peacefully. "I no longer wear the robes of the Sith, and I have renounced them and everything they stand for."

"I can see that you are no longer wearing the robes of the Sith clan, Solin," Kento said with irritation. "But I am not convinced that you no longer serve those treacherous fools."

"I understand why you think so, Kento, but please allow me to explain." Solin took a deep breath before he plowed on. "My friends here redeemed me from the Dark Side of the Force. They helped show me that being a Sith and serving the Dark Side is not who I am. I returned to the Light Side, humbled by the grave mistakes of my fall.

"I now pledge my life to eliminating the threat posed by the Sith," Solin continued. Kento's eyes had narrowed as he listened to Solin, but he did not speak up. "The Sith are an abomination and it is my mission to eradicate the threat of the Sith. That's why I have returned here, Kento: to ask you for your help in my achieving peace for the galaxy.

"It is my responsibility as a Jedi to serve the Republic as a guardian of peace and justice. This war has gone on for far too long and it's time we stopped the Sith. My friends and I have already eliminated a large faction of Sith aboard _The Millennium_. The only Sith remaining are those here with Governor Surik and the other defectors, and Lord Tobos and Lord Nacluv.

"If we are able to rescue Scarif from the Sith occupation, it will draw out Nacluv and Tobos. Defeating them would help eradicate the Sith threat permanently. I humbly ask you Kento to help us in defeating the Sith and drawing out its leaders so we can put an end to this conflict once and for all."

Once he finished his speech, Solin bowed his head low and knelt on the ground. The rest of the party mimicked him as chatter started amongst the others in the room. Kento stood at Solin and the others, thinking deeply to himself. Just when all of the talking had gotten loud enough that nobody was whispering, Kento held up his hand for silence. The chatter died instantly.

"You may rise, Solin and friends," Kento said in a much different tone of voice. The party quickly stood up and faced Kento. "I can see the truth in your words, Solin Malice. I can sense that you have been redeemed and no longer serve the Sith. And I believe your plans to eliminate the Sith threat are genuine. Because of that, I am prepared to have my forces assist you and you and your friends in your efforts to defeat the Sith. We will assist you in the capture of the leaders of the defectors who are here on Scarif. We pledge ourselves to you, Solin and friends."

Solin smiled widely and bowed at Kento.

"Thank you, Kento. Together, we will eliminate the Sith threat once and for all."

* * *

_The Logos_ orbited the atmosphere surrounding Scarif. It was a small command ship, handled by a crew that numbered about a dozen. On the bridge, two men wearing dark cloaks stood in the center of the room, surrounded by the crew piloting the ship. One of the men had his hood pulled up, but the other showed his face freely. The crew feared both men equally.

"My Lord, I can sense that our recently lost comrade is on the planet below," said Tobos.

Nacluv nodded at him. "Yes, I can sense it, too. I could feel Solin's presence coming closer and closer, and I knew that it was inevitable after his friends were able to return him to the Jedi Order."

"Do you think he serves them again?"

"There is no doubt," Nacluv replied shortly. "_The Millennium _would have not been destroyed if they had not succeeded in seducing him out of my grip."

"Should we try to return him to the Dark Side, Master?"

"No. It will be difficult enough to get at him with the influence of both his former master and his former apprentice in his presence."

The two Sith Lords did not speak to one another as they meditated heavily, losing themselves in the Force. Crew members did not dare interrupt them while meditating, knowing that the punishment was a painful death. After several moments, they both opened their eyes.

"I have another idea, Master," said Tobos in a thoughtful tone. "I sense that he will eventually realize you are close. Given the connection between the two of you, he may want to try and surrender himself to us in an attempt to pull you away from the Dark Side. He would also do it to distract us while his friends carry out their plans on Scarif."

Nacluv considered Tobos for a moment before responding.

"I am impressed that you can sense that when I cannot, Tobos," he said in a satisfied tone. "You are certainly proving your worth as my apprentice. You may be right. What do you suggest, Tobos?"

"If he indeed surrenders to the troops on the ground, you can go down there and greet him yourself, My Lord," said Tobos. "From there, you can bring him here where we can turn him back to the Dark Side without the influence of his friends."

"Yes," said Nacluv, thinking to himself for a moment. "That just might work. Very well then, Tobos. I shall return to the planet and await Solin's surrender. I will warn you, however, that if this does not happen, you will face my displeasure, my apprentice. I need scarcely remind you what that means," he added, gesturing to the large scar on Tobos' head, which Nacluv himself had caused during a duel between him and Tobos, where Tobos challenged him and his Dark Side powers.

"Yes, My Master," Tobos said bitterly.


	4. Surrender

"It's settled then," said Kento, sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by Solin, the rest of the party and several of his soldiers. "Master Keira and Master Solin will stay here while Master Sabe and Master Elocin will lead the first wave of troops along with Captain Menousek and myself to the bulkhead where the defectors are held up. Once Master Keira has sensed the first wave of defectors has been defeated, she will send young Ngema, Bazil and Y'not and a second wave of troops. As soon as we have a full advantage in the battle, Master Keira and Master Solin will join us and we will capture the defectors. Does that work for everyone?"

Each member of the party nodded before Sabe spoke up.

"I know they are trespassing on your planet, Kento, but we will of course need to transport them to the Republic to face trial for their crimes," he said. "I trust you can keep them held until we are ready to return to Coruscant."

"Absolutely, Master Sabe. Our holding cells are impenetrable from anything short of a bombardment. We will keep them held under heavy guard until they are ready for transport."

"Then I think that covers everything," said Sabe with satisfaction.

"Very well. Each group leader should ready their strategies. We will strike tomorrow and take back this planet and restore peace and justice to the galaxy."

At that, Kento stood up with Sabe, Elocin and Captain Menousek and they went into another room to discuss their strategy. Ngema, Bazila and Y'not split off into a corner of the room, leaving Solin and Keira sitting at the table.

An uneasy feeling crept through Solin as the room cleared around him. He bent his head and shut his eyes and lost himself in the Force for several moments. When he was done, he stood up abruptly.

"Excuse me," he said hurriedly to Keira as he sprinted out of the room. When he rushed past Sabe and others, they looked up at him questioningly but he ignored them. They all looked at Keira, who shrugged as she hurried after Solin.

"I'll go see what's up," Keira muttered to Sabe, who nodded at her. Keira followed Solin outside, where he had stopped in the middle of the pathway that led toward the beach they had landed on. Solin was gazing up at the night sky, his expression worrisome.

"Solin?" Keira said apprehensively. "Is something wrong?"

"It's Vulcan," Solin replied shortly, not looking at Keira. "I can sense his presence. He's close by. I don't know where, but he's on this planet. And I can sense that he knows that I'm here too. We were so close when we were Initiates together and when I joined him on the Sith, it's a wonder he hasn't already found me."

"He probably expects you to do something stupid like confront him," said Keira. "But I know you're smarter than that, Solin."

At that, Solin finally turned to look at her. He had a sad look in his eyes, but he was determined.

"I might have to go and confront him, Keira," he said urgently. "If Vulcan can sense my presence, then it will only be a matter of time before he comes for me and either kills me or tries to turn me back to the Dark Side. As long as I stay here, I'm endangering the group and our mission here. I have to face him, Keira."

"Why?" Keira demanded, sensing the determination in Solin's mind.

Solin sighed deeply before responding. "I have to redeem my old friend. There is good in him, still, I know it, Keira. When I served him, I could sense the light in him. It is faint, but it is there. And it's like Sabe always told me, 'Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you see it, you'll never make it through the night.' If I can be redeemed after falling to the Dark Side, Vulcan can be redeemed, too. The Dark Side of the Force hasn't consumed him completely, Keira, I am sure of it. I have hope that I can redeem him. If I do, the Sith alliance would fracture and we can restore balance to the Force. I have to try, Keira."

Keira stared at Solin for several moments, at a loss for words. Her mind was racing with possible outcomes of Solin's plans, each of them seeming worse than the other. She could also sense the resolve in Solin's mind and knew that he had every intention of doing whatever he could to redeem his old friend. Finally, she nodded.

"I know I can't talk you out of it if your heart is in it, Solin," she said softly. "I can sense your determination. You were always an open book for me to read with the Force." At this, they both chuckled. "I just want you to be careful. And to remember how easy it can be for him to turn you back to the Dark Side."

Solin nodded. "I know," he whispered. "I certainly know that now after what happened on Korriban. But I also know that since you will be so close when I confront him, you will be able to sense any danger and come for me. But don't worry, Keira. Knowing that Vulcan still has good in him is enough for me to resist any temptation to turn to the Dark Side."

With that, Solin pulled Keira into a hug. Both of them were crying as they held each other.

"May the Force be with you," Solin said in a hushed tone.

"May the Force be with you," Keira echoed as they broke apart. She wiped away a tear as Solin smiled at her, turned around and walked away, his stance showing his conviction in what he planned to do.

"Don't you dare hurt him, Nacluv," Keira muttered as Solin disappeared into the darkness. "He may not kill you, but nothing will stop me from killing you if you hurt him. Godspeed, my Master."

* * *

Lord Nacluv stood in the center of a room in the bunker where the leaders of the defectors were held up on Scarif. He could sense the most familiar presence in the galaxy to him coming ever closer, but he did not sense any deception. Nacluv closed his eyes, centering himself in the Force, to try and attempt to figure out what he was about to see when the door opened. However, the Force told him nothing. Frustrated, Nacluv started to pace the room as he waited for the reunion.

After several minutes, the door finally opened. General Nute walked into the room, followed by Solin, whose hands were bound in chains. Two soldiers from the Army of Malastare flanked Solin on either side. Solin had a blank expression on his face, but stared pointedly at Nacluv, who he was surprised to see was not wearing his hood as he normally did. General Nute came to an abrupt halt in front of Nacluv, who could sense the apprehension coursing through the general, as he always did when they were in each other's presence.

"This is the Jedi who surrendered to us, My Lord," General Nute explained. "Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request a further search of the area."

At this, Nacluv turned to Solin and the two locked eyes for the first time in several weeks. Nacluv still couldn't decide what was racing through Solin's mind, but could sense the reserve his old friend held.

"He was armed only with this," Nute continued, raising his hand, which was holding Solin's lightsaber. Nacluv took the weapon and turned to face Nute again.

"Good work, General Nute," Nacluv said in a cunning tone. "Leave us. Conduct your search and bring any companions to me."

Nacluv watched as Solin made a sudden movement. He probed his old friend's mind and could sense worry running through Solin. Nacluv did not acknowledge that he knew it.

"Yes, my Lord," Nute said before he bowed and turned with the two soldiers and walked back through the door they had arrived in. Once the door shut, Nacluv started to walk away from it. Solin followed him in silence awkwardly.

"Lord Tobos and I have been expecting you," Nacluv said, finally breaking the silence as they walked.

"I know, Vulcan," replied Solin.

At this, Nacluv stopped and looked at Solin, confused. Solin stared back at him, but his mind was still too difficult to read. It was as if Solin was preventing Nacluv from probing it, despite being able to sense Solin's worry about his comrades.

"Why do you still call me that name, Solin? You must know that that part of me died long ago, after the Jedi cast me out and I embraced the nature of the Dark Side of the Force."

Solin shook his head, not breaking eye contact with Nacluv.

"That part of you is still within you, Vulcan, I know it. I can feel the conflict in you. There is still good in you, of that I am sure."

"What do you mean, you can sense the conflict within me? I am sure of my intentions."

"You may be sure of your intentions in most instances, Vulcan, but you are not sure of your intentions with me," Solin explained. "I know that you and Tobos agreed to attempt to capture me and seduce me back to the Dark Side. But, I can sense that you heart is not all in it, Vulcan. You don't want to truly bring me before Tobos, but you feel you must do so anyway in order to prove you are still worthy to lead the Sith."

Though Nacluv heard the truth in Solin's words, part of him seethed as he took in what Solin was saying. But, he took several breaths before he responded and when he spoke, his voice was calm.

"What you say is true," Nacluv whispered, trying to hold back his anger as much as he can, but he couldn't understand why.

"Vulcan," Solin said, walking toward Nacluv and his tone sounding as if he were pleading. "Search your feelings, old friend. I can feel the conflict in you. All you have to do is to let go of your hate and you can be redeemed."

Nacluv sighed again, but this time, his tone sounded sadder.

"It is too late for me, Solin," he said. "But like you said, I have no intention of trying to turn you back to the Dark Side again."

"Why is that, Vulcan?"

"Because I know how useless it would be for Tobos and I turn you with both Sabe and your former apprentice so close to you," Nacluv replied. "They would instantly sense you in danger and would quickly come to your aid. Despite the Dark Side consuming you, their influence over you is much stronger and they would turn you back to the Jedi Order as soon as they found you. They proved it once, so I don't need to waste my time trying to turn you."

"So what do you plan to do then, Vulcan?"

"I will take you to my personal starship _The Logos_. While we are there, I will prove to Tobos that it would be useless for us to try to turn you again. I sense that when I do, Tobos will attempt to destroy you, Solin."

"And if he does?"

"I can do nothing to stop him, I'm afraid. Despite our history as friends and you being my most worthy apprentice, I cannot intervene. That is the way of the Sith, Solin. If Tobos wants to destroy you, you'll have to fight himself off yourself."

"I will do what I must," Solin said solemnly.

"I am sorry, old friend," said Nacluv. "I know you never wanted this for me, but it was all that I had after the Jedi Order expelled me. The Force was too strong to resist and without the Jedi there watching over me, I was able to embrace the Dark Side and unlock many new secrets of the great mystery."

Solin sighed.

"I'm sorry that you haven't looked into your heart, Vulcan," he said. "I hope you can find the goodness still in you when you take me to Tobos."

"We'll go now," Nacluv said as the door they were walking toward at the end of the room opened. "There is no point in keeping Tobos waiting."


	5. The Battle of Scarif

"All right, everyone, the time has come," Kento said, picking up his staff and holding it high above him. "We will take back our planet and eliminate the threat posed by the defectors of the Republic!"

It was nearly time for the battle. The three waves of troops had gathered, along with the party. The Jedi had all taken off their cloaks and were holding their lightsabers, except for Keira, who had disposed of her cloak and was standing in the middle of the room, not holding her lightsaber. She was breathing deeply, starting to clear her mind of all distractions, though she couldn't help but worry about Solin. She could sense that Solin had surrendered to Nacluv and had taken him to an unknown place, but she knew that it was close.

As Keira cleared her mind, Sabe spoke to the troops.

"Remember, everyone, that Keira will give you the signal to enter the fray," he said in a commanding voice. "Follow her commands and we will be able to succeed in our attempt to defeat the defectors' army and we will capture the leaders. Your planet will be liberated and peace will be restored to the galaxy."

At that, all of the Scarif soldiers cheered loudly. Many of them raised their blasters and swords high in the air, already feeling triumphant about their chances. Ignoring all of this, Keira sat on the floor, crossed her legs and shut her eyes. In moments, she was floating in midair, concentrating heavily in the Force.

"It is time," Sabe said. "May the Force be with us all."

Sabe, Elocin, Captain Menousek and Kento left the room with the first wave of troops. The rest of the army remained behind, some sitting on the ground and waiting while others started to pace the room, unable to contain themselves.

Meanwhile, the first wave made its way to the bunker where the defectors were held up. They were lucky it was on the same island as the headquarters of Scarif's government; they did not have to cross any bodies of water in order to reach the bunker. The army marched in unison behind Sabe, Elocin, Captain Menousek and Kento, who all had their weapons in their hands, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.

After what seemed an eternity, the army reached the bunker, where a large army of troops of the defectors was waiting for them. The defectors' army was heavily guarded and contained a handful of Sith apprentices, who all looked young.

"Should we be worried?" Captain Menousek asked quietly.

"We have the Force on our side," Sabe replied calmly.

"Keira will be able to help us gain an advantage over the defectors," added Elocin. "We shall be all right."

When the two armies had reached one another, they all stopped and stared at each other, waiting. As the armies waited, Sabe and Elocin ignited their lightsabers, Sabe's yellow blade as bright as a sun and Elocin's a dark orange. Once their lightsabers were ignited, the Jedi watched the handful of Sith apprentices mimic them and ignite their red blades.

The armies continued to wait for several moments before someone from the defectors' side yelled, "CHARGE!" At his command, the army of the defectors rushed forward, ready to attack. At the same time, Scarif's first army wave hurried toward the defectors, raising their blasters and swords and preparing to hold off the defectors. Blaster shots fired over the heads of both armies and soldiers from both sides fell, though more defectors fell than Scarif army men.

As the two sides did battle, it was clear that Scarif's army had a clear advantage over the defectors. Aside from outnumbering the defectors, each member of the Scarif Army found themselves with a willpower they ordinarily wouldn't have in combat; it was clear that Keira's Battle Meditation was working. The defectors, meanwhile, found their willpower reduced and could not gain any advantages over Scarif. The defectors' numbers were thinning rapidly; before they could do more than defend Scarif's Army from advancing further on the bunker, more than a third of the defectors' army had been eliminated.

* * *

Keira was still floating in midair, concentrating heavily in the Force. She could see the defectors' army was starting to thin in numbers.

"Now, Ngema!" she shouted, keeping her eyes shut and her concentration maintained.

Without hesitation, Ngema, Bazila and Y'not stood up and started to hurry out of the room. The second wave of troops followed them. Thought the first wave of troops had been orderly when traveling to the bunker, the second wave didn't bother with formalities. Ngema, Bazila and Y'not ran as fast as they could, with Ngema and Bazila igniting their lightsabers when they were just halfway to the battle.

Once the second wave of troops reached the bunker, it was clear it was impossible for the defectors to hold off Scarif's army. Aside from the large number of additional soldiers, having two more Jedi in the mix allowed Scarif's army to maintain control of the battle. The second wave quickly helped the first wave dispatch of all of the Sith apprentices. With the loss its Force users, the defectors quickly wore down; soldiers were quickly struck down and dispatched of with ease. The battle had become something of an onslaught put on by Scarif's army and the Jedi.

* * *

Keira had never concentrated so hard while using her Battle Meditation. Though the Force power required use solely of her mind, her body started to tire as if she were in the battle facing off the defectors' army in person. But, she was able to maintain her concentration, channeling willpower into Scarif's army and her Jedi comrades, while eroding the will of the defectors' army. She could see the battle occurring in her mind's eye, and saw Scarif's army and the Jedi eliminate a large portion of the enemy as she used her Force power.

When she saw only about a quarter of the defectors' army remained, Keira broke her concentration. She opened her eyes and she fell to the ground gracefully, landing soundly on her feet. As she stood on her feet, Keira took several deep breaths as she recovered from focusing so hard on the battle before she turned to the third wave of troops. All of the soldiers had already gotten to their feet, holding their weapons at the ready.

"It's time," she declared. "Victory is nearly upon us, but we must ensure it! Onward!"

With that, Keira hurried out of the room, and the third wave of soldiers followed her out. Once outside, Keria ignited her light blue lightsaber and used the Force to increase her speed and the soldiers' speed, though they were unable to sense it. In moments, they had reached the bunker and entered the fray.

The defectors were quickly overwhelmed by the arrival of the third wave of soldiers and Keira. The five Jedi were able to regroup, and were joined by Y'not, Captain Menousek and Kento. Together, they were able to defeat the remaining soldiers of the defectors' army, managing to strike down each soldier with ease. Within moments, the remaining soldiers lay dead on the ground.

Once the firing had stopped, the Jedi deactivated their lightsabers, but kept them held. Scarif's army did not cheer, knowing they could not be heard celebrating their victory by the leaders of the defectors. Kento turned to the party and addressed it in a low voice.

"We have succeeded for now," he said, "but the battle is not completely won yet. We still have to capture the leaders of the defectors and imprison them for their crimes against Scarif and the Republic. Captain Menousek, I would suggest you use a comlink from one of the fallen soldiers and use it to lure the leaders out here. Once they are in place, we can arrest them."

Captain Menousek nodded, but turned to the Jedi for counsel.

"Yes, this would be the best option," said Keira.

"We can hide with the rest of the army in the trees nearby until the leaders come out," added Sabe.

"And once they are out in the open, we can surround them and taken them into custody," finished Elocin.

"Then get to it," said Kento. "We'll clear the area and you can contact the leaders, Captain Menousek."

While Captain Menousek approached one of the fallen soldiers of the defectors' army, Kento led the Jedi in clearing the immediate area surrounding the bunker of Scarif's army. Captain Menousek reached into the pocket of the fallen trooper and found a comlink. He yanked the comlink out and waited for the remaining soldiers to clear the area. When Sabe nodded at him, Captain Menousek held up the comlink and spoke into it.

"It's over, sir," he said in a commanding voice. "Scarif's Army has fled into the woods. We need reinforcements to go after and capture them."

"We will be right out!" came an excited voice on the other end of the comlink. "We'll formulate a plan once we've assessed what's happened!"

The comlink switched off and Captain Menousek nodded at the others. Sabe motioned for him to remain in front of the bunker and Captain Menousek nodded. Within moments, the bunker doors opened and several people stepped out.

Sabe recognized most of the defectors' leaders. General Nute was in the front, flanked by his Lieutenant, Silas, and Captain, Pluk. Among the other leaders, Sabe was able to pick out Governor Surik of Malastare, along with the senators representing the other planets that had declared themselves against the Republic and joined with Malastare.

Once the leaders had all gathered outside, General Nute took a look around the bunker's entrance, taking in the large amount of bodies he saw, which consisted of mainly soldiers from his own army. He turned to Captain Menousek and walked up to him with an angry expression on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" General Nute demanded. Before Captain Menousek could answer, Nute's eyes widened in shock. "Wait! I know exactly who are you! You're Senator Mobbs' personal bodyguard!"

"I was," Captain Menousek replied calmly. "But I do not serve that traitor any further, General. And I'm afraid you've lost this battle," he added as he raised his blaster and pointed it at Nute.

Nute simply laughed at Menousek.

"You seriously think you can take all of us on your own, do you, Republic fool?" said Nute with an air of satisfaction.

"I won't have to," Menousek replied, smiling at Nute.

"What are you talking about?" Nute demanded.

Suddenly, Scarif's Army, Kento and the Jedi surrounded the leaders of the defectors. The Jedi all ignited their lightsabers, while all of Scarif's soldier's pointed their blasters at the leaders. Many of the leaders, including Lieutenant Silas and Captain Pluk started to cower in fear. General Nute, however, remained defiant.

"What is this?" he shouted. "You Republic fools cannot capture me!"

"Actually, we can, General Nute," said Kento, who walked up to Nute, holding his staff to the general's throat. Nute flinched slightly. "This battle is indeed over and your army has lost. We eliminated the entire battalion of troops."

"That's impossible!" Nute exclaimed, but the worry shined in his eyes.

"Oh yes, it is possible," Kento retorted, looking happy. "Look around you: all of the defectors who you sent out here to defend your precious bunker have been defeated. And you are surrounded, Nute. There is no escape for you. We are placing you under arrest."

Kento stepped aside as Sabe stepped forward, holding onto his lightsaber but not using it to threaten Nute. When he spoke, his tone was determined and full of energy.

"Because of your acts of treason against the Republic, each of you will be taken before the Senate to face a criminal trial," Sabe declared. He then looked Nute directly in the eye. "You won't be able to get away with your crimes this time, General. You were lucky the last time, but no more."

"We will see," Nute spat.

"Enough," said Kento. Sabe nodded at him and stepped away, shutting off his lightsaber. "Troops, take them away and place them into our prison facilities at once."

At that, about a dozen guards surrounded the defectors' leaders, keeping their blasters trained on each of them. Most of the leaders were resigned to their fate and held them arms up in surrender. Nute hesitated, but looked around at the soldiers and the Jedi before he shook his head and threw his blaster down in disgust.

* * *

Kento reentered his chambers, where the rest of the party was waiting for him. They waited with baited breath as he took his seat and turned to them.

"They are in custody," he said. Each member of the party let out sighs of relief. Keira and Ngema hugged each other, as did Sabe and Elocin. "We cannot thank you enough for helping us eliminate the threat posed by the defectors. Thanks to your actions, peace will be returned to Scarif. We will no longer have to monitor each ship arriving on this planet."

Sabe stepped forward.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay here, Kento," he said, bowing low. "I know it wasn't easy for you to do, but we appreciate the hospitality and we are glad we could eliminate the pain Scarif was facing."

"What will you do now?" asked Kento.

Sabe turned to Keira, who stepped forward.

"When I was meditating, I could sense that Solin had surrendered himself to Nacluv," she explained. "I don't know where he's been taken, but I can sense that he is close by. For now, there is nothing more we can do. We must wait until the Force tells us what is next. Would you mind if we remained here to recuperate and wait for Solin, Kento?"

Kento nodded.

"I would be happy to host you, Master Jedi."


	6. Duel on The Logos

The doors to the bridge opened, giving Solin his first glance at Lord Tobos since he was redeemed. He could sense something sinister about Tobos, and knew that he would likely have to fight his way off the bridge. As Solin tapped into Nacluv's mind, he could sense that his old friend was still torn about what to do. Solin knew that could give him an advantage during this confrontation.

Before they walked toward Tobos, Nacluv waved his hand lazily and the binds that had held them together since Solin was captured released themselves and fell to the ground. Vulcan had already clipped Solin's lightsaber onto Solin's belt, telling Solin that he would likely need it when he faced Tobos. The two men then walked in silence toward the center of the bridge, where Tobos stood waiting. Solin glanced around and saw that the crew had abandoned its posts on the bridge; he knew the ship must be on autopilot because it couldn't function without a crew manning it.

After what seemed an eternity, Nacluv stopped walking just before reaching Tobos. Solin walked a few more steps forward before he stopped, too. He and Tobos simply stared at each other, the tension mounting. Solin could sense a confrontation was about to begin, but the Dark Side of the Force clouded his mind.

Without warning, Tobos raised his hand and blasted Force Lightning at Solin, who grunted and fell to his knees as Tobos stopped. Tobos was cackling madly before he resumed his attack. Solin screamed in pain and fell to the ground completely as he was shocked. Nacluv stood where he was, unwilling to intervene one way or the other.

Tobos kept up his attack for several moments before Solin screamed out to Nacluv.

"Vulcan! Help me, please!" he pleaded.

It was as if something had snapped in Nacluv's mind. Suddenly, he realized that his best friend was being tortured by his subordinate. He could feel the pull of the Dark Side of the Force ebbing away from him, but he realized that it didn't matter to him anymore. Nacluv turned to Tobos.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted.

Tobos abruptly stopped his attack on Solin and stared at Nacluv, who glared back at him.

"What the devil are you doing, you fool?" Nacluv demanded.

Tobos laughed again.

"Oh, my foolish, Master, don't you see? The time has come for a new Dark Lord of the Sith to carry on what you have started! You are no longer fit to hold the mantle of Dark Lord! So now, I will kill you both and inherit that title and carry on the legacy of the Sith!"

"And when did you decide this, Tobos?" Nacluv said as his old self continued to surface in his mind.

"When I could sense that you had no intention of turning dear Solin here back to the Dark Side," Tobos answered as if it were the stupidest thing he had ever been asked. "Did you honestly think you could hide that from me, Nacluv?"

At this, Nacluv felt his Sith identity fall away from him forever and Vulcan Gunner was reborn.

"You are a fool blinded by the Dark Side, Tobos!"

"Ah, so you have returned to the Light, my dear master," Tobos replied, ignoring Vulcan's statement. "Very well then. I knew you were never right for the position, my old master!"

Tobos made to attack Solin again with Force Lightning. Before he could, though, Vulcan leapt in front of Solin and used the Force to block Tobos' attack, absorbing the lightning in his hands and deflecting it away. Tobos hesitated when he saw this and let up his attack and reached for his lightsaber. Vulcan bent down and helped Solin stand up, using the Force to restore some of Solin's stamina. The two of them turned to face Tobos and ignited their lightsabers.

"Do you intend to duel me, Nacluv?" Tobos asked as he laughed and ignited his blood red blade.

"I do, Tobos," Vulcan replied. "And you can stop calling me that. The Dark Lord Nacluv is gone. I am a servant of the light once again."

"Then you shall die as all foolish cowards of the light will!" Tobos shouted as he leapt forward to attack Vulcan, who easily blocked the attack.

The three masters of the Force engaged in the most intense duel any of them had ever participated in. The Force guided each of their moves and each attack and counterattack appeared more as a blur because all three of them were moving so quickly and with ease. However, it was difficult for any other them to gain an advantage over the other.

Though he hadn't felt the call to the Light Side of the Force in many years, Vulcan could sense that it provided him with a sense of peace that had been missing ever since he left the Jedi Order. This, he now understood, was how it was meant to be: He was to be a servant of the Light, but instead chose to fall to the Dark Side of the Force. When he was a Jedi Initiate, learning about the Dark Side was about impressing the masters and learning more about the Force in order to allow himself to be selected as a padawan. As Nacluv, he had embraced a part of his identity that convinced him he deserved more power and he had hungered for it. Now, though, he felt nothing but contempt for the Dark Side and was amazed at how easy it had been for him to reject it now.

Solin, meanwhile, was relieved to have Vulcan on his side once again. Because he was weakened due to Tobos' attack, having another person dueling ensured that he didn't meet an early demise. He could also sense the great power both Vulcan and Tobos had. This showed Solin that if he had fallen again, the three of them would have been unstoppable and the fate of the galaxy uncertain. But Solin had no time to dwell on "what abouts" and instead focused on the battle, which seemed to him more personal than all other duels; this duel was about saving the galaxy, but also about making sure his oldest friend was safe.

Tobos, though, could sense that Solin was feeling weak due to the lightning attack. He smiled to himself and briefly lost himself in the Force, calling to the Dark Side to fuel his passion. Once he was fully concentrated, Tobos turned to his old master and sent a powerful Force Push at Vulcan, which sent Vulcan flying hard into a wall. Tobos cackled as he turned to face Solin.

The Jedi Master and Sith Lord fought each other with resolve. But, Solin could feel himself quickly wearing down. Though Vulcan's use of the Force had restored some of his stamina, it had not treated the wounds he felt from the lightning. As such, he was quickly running out of breath and was barely able to block Tobos' attacks. Tobos slowly forced Solin toward a wall and kept up his barrage of attacks. When Solin had just barely blocked one attack, Tobos seized his opportunity and kicked Solin in the chest.

Solin fell hard onto the wall and dropped his lightsaber, which rolled several feet away. Tobos laughed evilly and leapt up, appearing to fly toward Solin. Solin straightened his stance, but knew it was too late to defend himself and instead closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. When he heard the sound of Tobos' lightsaber cutting through flesh, Solin felt himself flinch, even though he was not in pain. Confused, Solin opened his eyes.

Tobos was holding up Vulcan with his lightsaber; the blade had impaled Vulcan through the chest when he had leapt in front of Solin to prevent his death. Solin could sense the great pain Vulcan was feeling and the two friends looked each other in the eyes for the first time in years. Finally, they understood each other completely again.

Just as the pain started to course through Vulcan's body, Tobos grinned and pulled his lightsaber out of Vulcan, whose unconscious body tumbled to the ground. He wasn't moving. Before Tobos could react, Solin called his lightsaber back to him and aimed for Tobos' head. Though he missed this attack, Solin was able to kick Tobos away from Vulcan and rushed toward him to resume their duel.

Seeing Vulcan sacrifice his life for him seemed to act like a stimulant in Solin. He put up a ferocious attack against Tobos and fiercely countered every one of Tobos' attacks against him. When he was briefly able to tap into Tobos' mind, he could sense the Sith Lord now felt fear, though outwardly, Tobos looked angry.

They continued dueling for several moments, the Force guiding all of their actions. Solin was fighting purely on adrenaline, which made it difficult for him to sense where Tobos' attacks were coming from. Tobos was unable to fight back against Solin's barrage of attacks. He did not understand what was driving Solin, having never formed a true bond with anyone during his lifetime.

After what seemed an eternity, Solin aimed another slice at Tobos' head. The Sith Lord was able to dodge it and locked his blade with Solin for several seconds. Tobos quickly broke the hold and raised his lightsaber before Solin could recover and stabbed it into the ground, sending a powerful Force Wave through the room. The wave sent Solin flying away and onto the deck below the bridge.

Tobos deactivated his lightsaber and started running for the escape pods. He was laughing madly as he prepared to enter an escape pod and leave.

"I will continue the legacy of the Sith, Solin Malice!" Tobos declared. "One day, we will rule the galaxy. It may take thousands of years, but it will happen! You mark my words!"

Just as Solin leapt back up onto the bridge, Tobos disappeared into the escape pod and it blasted away from _The Logos_, disappearing quickly. Sighing, Solin returned his lightsaber to his belt as he hurried over to Vulcan, who was still unconscious. Solin bent down on the ground and pulled Vulcan into his arms, raising his friend's head gently. As he did, Vulcan regained conscious.

"It's too late," Vulcan said, his voice raspy. "It's -"

"No!" Solin protested. "Tobos may have gotten away, but I can still save you and heal your wound."

Vulcan shook his head.

"I always had an odd feeling about Tobos," he said. "But, it is too late for me, Solin. My wound is too severe to heal adequately. It is my time."

"I'm so sorry," Solin cried.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about, Solin," Vulcan countered. "I'm the one who needs to apologize. None of this would have happened if I hadn't fallen to the Dark Side. I'm so sorry I turned against you, Solin. I never wanted any of this to happen. I was foolish and I was power hungry. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I can," Solin replied, holding onto one of Vulcan's hands with his free hand. "I've already forgiven you."

"Thank you for that, old friend," said Vulcan, his voice getting weaker by the moment. "I don't deserve your forgiveness for all that I've done, but I'm glad you can find it in your heart to do it. I do have hope, though. When I was meditating a few days ago, I looked into the future. There will be a Jedi, a powerful Force user, generations from now, who will be powerful enough in the Force to defeat the Sith and bring balance to the Force."

Solin nodded.

"I hope you're right about that," he whispered.

"Always remember to have hope, Solin," said Vulcan. "Hope is what convinced you to try and redeem me, and it worked. For that, I am grateful." At this, it became difficult for Vulcan to speak. Death was close. "Thank you for redeeming me, Solin. It let the real me see you once last time. I know you will go on to do great things. You will be a great Jedi, Solin, I know it. Now I am complete. Thank you for everything, my friend. May the Force be with you."

At that, Vulcan's eyes closed and he let out his final breath of air. Solin felt Vulcan's grip on his hand slacken and he knew that Vulcan was gone. He burst into tears and buried his face on Vulcan's neck.

"Vulcan!" he cried.

* * *

The doors to Kento's chambers opened and Solin walked inside. Keira glanced up when she saw him and noticed that he looked exhausted. But she could not feel the Dark Side of the Force corrupting him, which made her feel relief. Keira hurried up to Solin and hugged him.

"Are you all right?" she demanded as the others crowded around them.

"I'm fine," Solin replied in a sad tone. "Vulcan was redeemed and he helped me face Tobos. But…"

"What is it?" Keira asked.

"He's not with you," Sabe observed. "Are you saying he -?"

Solin nodded. "He sacrificed his life to save mine. Tobos had tortured me with Force Lightning, and I hadn't had enough time to recover when he kicked me down. Before Tobos could kill me, Vulcan leapt in front of the blade. He stayed alive long enough to tell me how sorry he was for everything that had happened and he made a prediction about someone bringing balance to the Force."

"Do you mean he created a prophecy?" asked Elocin, who seemed highly interested in this revelation.

"Something like that," Solin replied. "He predicted there will be a Jedi, generations from now, who will defeat the Sith and bring balance to the Force once again. He said he could sense it when he was deep in meditation and looking to the future."

"Then so it shall be," Elocin said. "Based on what Vulcan told you, Solin, I believe he had created a Force Prophecy, which we have long known tell the will of the Force for years to come. We shall pass along this knowledge of a Chosen One who will bring balance back to the Force. It will likely happen long after our lifetimes, but it will be something for all of us to pass along to future Jedi. If anything, it will give them hope for a better future."

"And what of Vulcan?" Solin asked. "I took his body from _The Logos_. I wanted to give it a proper burial."

"Since he was redeemed before he died, we shall gave him a Jedi's Funeral," said Sabe, gently patting Solin on the shoulder. "We shall return to Coruscant soon, where the Jedi Temple is being rebuilt, and lay Vulcan to rest. We'll make it a closed funeral, so only those of us who know what happened will be there, but we shall make sure that he is remembered as a hero, for showing all of us that redemption is possible, along with you, Solin."


	7. Epilogue

The four great blue beasts hauled Vulcan's casket away from the entrance of the Jedi Temple, which was being rebuilt, toward the Temple gardens, where great heroes of the Jedi Order lay in peace. Solin, Keira, Sabe, Ngema, Elocin, Captain Menousek, Bazila and Y'not all followed the casket to the garden. Each of the Jedi had their hoods raised, as was traditional for Jedi funerals. Accompanying the humans was each of the droids that belonged to the Jedi; each astromech droid and Sabe's protocol droid were the same color as their respective owners.

Inside the casket, Vulcan lay clouded in navy blue robes. The casket gave the impression that he was drowning and his robes were fanned out appropriately to maintain that illusion. In his hands, Vulcan carried the lightsaber given to him so long before by Solin. Before he had placed it into the casket, Solin had restored a blue crystal in the weapon, not wanting any part of Vulcan's former Sith identity to be associated with his burial.

Once inside the Temple gardens and the casket was on its burial plot, Sabe stepped forward and waved his hand at the beasts, releasing them from the casket. As if on cue, the beasts slowly walked away from the gardens to let the funeral proceed. Sabe then pressed a button on the casket and stepped away from it. In seconds, flames had erupted all around the casket, which burned Vulcan's body in the tradition of a Jedi funeral.

The group all watched the body and casket burn with solemn expressions on their faces. Solin in particular had to fight back tears as he watched the fire consume his oldest friend. Sensing this, Keira put a hand on Solin's shoulder, trying her best to comfort him.

After several moments, Sabe waved his hand and the flames died instantly. The casket then sealed itself with Vulcan's ashes inside. From there, it lowered itself into the ground into the burial plot slowly. It was several seconds before the casket disappeared into the ground. Once it was gone, the group disbanded, except for Solin, who walked toward the burial plot. He looked down onto the ground with tears forming in his eyes.

"Farewell, my old friend," he whispered. "May the Force be with you."

* * *

Chancellor Jear stood up once his podium had risen into place in the Senate Chambers. The talking that echoed through the chamber ceased instantly; every representative was eager to hear why Jear had called this special session of the Senate. He had merely informed the representatives that he would be presenting some much-needed good news and that several distinguished guests would be joining the Senate for the session.

"Honorable representatives to the Republic, I welcome you on this fine day to a special session of Congress and what a wonderful day it is for the Republic. First, please allow me to introduce our guests."

At that, a pod carrying the party that had traveled to Scarif floated toward the Chancellor's Pod and started to float around it.

"Please welcome Jedi Master Solin Malice, Jedi Knight Keira Port, Jedi Master Sabe Organa, Jedi Master Elocin Trahkrik, Jedi Padawan Ngema Resor, Captain Jun Menousek of Ord Mantell, young Bazila Sniggiw from Taris and her Wookie companion Y'not Yorbyn."

Follow this lengthy introduction, the Senate started to applaud loudly for the guests. After several moments, Chancellor Jear held his hands up and the cheering stopped.

"Our guests have joined us at my request for their service to the Republic in helping to restore peace and justice to the galaxy," Chancellor Jear explained. "At this time, I am pleased to announce that war against the Defectors has come to an end, and the Republic has emerged victorious."

At this, the Senate erupted in cheering again. Many of the representatives hugged one another and shook hands as they celebrated the victory.

"Those who betrayed the Republic will be brought before the Senate for trial, as dictated by our Senate laws," Jear continued as the noise died down. "Though the work ahead will be difficult, I have full faith in the Senate's ability to judge those imprisoned with impartiality, regardless of current or former affiliations with those who stand accused.

"I would also at this time like to announce that the Jedi Temple here on Coruscant is being rebuilt as we speak. The reconstruction will be done at the behest of the new Grand Master of the Jedi Order, whose identity I shall announce in moments. But, first things first, I must recognize our guests once again."

As Chancellor Jear spoke about each member of the party, they stood up one-by-one and beamed around at the Senate.

"Young Bazila Sniggiw will join the Jedi Order as an apprentice to Master Elocin Trahkirk. Her companion Y'not Yorbyn will accompany the two on missions as an adviser and a protector.

"Jedi Padawan Ngema Resor has completed her Jedi training. She is now a Jedi Knight, and can take an apprentice of her own when the time has come.

"Jedi Master Elocin Trahkrik will take on Bazila as her apprentice, which is her first padawan learner since the training of another guest, Sabe Organa. Elocin will also continue to serve on the Jedi Council as an adviser to the new Grand Master.

At that, Jear paused as the cheering continued before he spoke again.

"I would also like to announce at this time that following the end of this special session of Congress, I will no longer serve the Republic as Chancellor," he announced. At this, several representatives burst out in confused tones. Jear held up his hand for silence and the representatives obeyed him. "I do this to retire from the political life and return to my role as a Jedi Master in the Jedi Order. I will serve primarily as a diplomat when it is needed across the galaxy. A special election will be held to choose my replacement, and in the meantime, my aides Rose Girg and Owen Spier will lead the Senate meetings.

"Captain Jun Menousek will take over Senatorial duties for the great planet of Ord Mantell as the former senator awaits trial for treason and conspiracy against the Republic. Senator Menousek will officially be sworn in at the end of today's session."

"Jedi Master Sabe Organa will serve as the new deputy head of the Jedi High Council here on Coruscant, and he will serve as the primary adviser to the Grand Master.

"Jedi Knight Keira Port is being promoted to Jedi Master. She will be given a seat on the Jedi Council, where she will be tasked with advising the new Grand Master of conflicts occurring throughout the galaxy.

"Finally, I have the pleasure to announce that Jedi Master Solin Malice is the new Grand Master of the Jedi Order." At this, the Senate erupted in its loudest applause yet. Solin beamed at all of the representatives with tears in his eyes while Keira and Sabe both gave him encouraging smiles. "Master Solin played a large role in helping end the war. He led this group of individuals to Scarif following his redemption from the Dark Side of the Force, making amends for all of his actions when he served the Sith. In addition, Solin helped eradicate a large faction of the Sith Army, helping ensure that their numbers remain small. Above all, he is getting the honor of Grand Master for showing the galaxy that redemption is always possible, no matter how far someone has fallen."

Finally, Chancellor Jear stopped speaking and sat down to applaud the party. Sabe and Keira both clapped Solin on the back, their smiles seeming endless. Elocin was applauding loudly; it was almost unlike her to have that expression on her face. Bazila and Y'not were cheering as loudly as they could. Ngema simply stood beaming at Solin. The newly-minted Senator Menousek gave Solin one of his rare smiles and clapped just a handful of times; he was not one for ever showing his emotions.

When the applause finally died down, Chancellor Jear thanked the Senate for allowing him to serve as its leader. The full body of people gave him a standing ovation that lasted for several moments. When it was quiet again, Jear called the end of the session and his podium started to lower into the Chancellor's Office for the final time with Jear as Chancellor.

The pod carrying the party floated back to its spot, giving the group its first chance to speak with one another.

"Exciting times are ahead," Bazila mused. Y'not growled in agreement.

"While that is true, my new apprentice, there is much work to be done," said Elocin.

"I can't believe I can actually call you by your name, Keira!" Ngema exclaimed, causing all of them to laugh.

"Thank you all for letting me come with you," Menousek grunted. "It was an honor to serve alongside you; I hope I get the chance to do it again."

"Well, kid, you've done good," Sabe said to Solin, giving his old apprentice another punch on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you did, Solin," added Keira. "Are you nervous?"

"A little, but I won't let that stop me," Solin replied. "Besides, I've got you two to help me take on this role. May the Force be with us all."

All was well.


End file.
